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It鈥檚 already started. Well folks, pipe down.

Fast-tracking Wetherholt to the big leagues for the end of this season wouldn鈥檛 be strategic or forward-thinking. That鈥檇 be short-sighted, ill-conceived and a flailing move aimed more at public morale than baseball development.

It would also present logistical challenges on a roster that鈥檚 already challenging the manager daily. Not to mention, forcing the issue without 鈥渞unway鈥� would signal a failure to learn from recent missteps.

So yes, I understand the yearning for something that represents hope. I鈥檓 familiar with that excitement of a new beginning and the chance at something rare and spectacular.

Covering minor-league baseball in various parts of the country for a decade provided vivid examples of how strongly and deeply people often project organizational aspirations onto individual players.

When the big club struggles to stay afloat, people latch onto those prospects like life rafts.

A highly regarded prospect like Wetherholt becomes the embodiment of possibility and promise for the future.

But pump the brakes.

That鈥檚 nothing against him. I got to meet and speak with Wetherholt during spring training after his stint in big-league camp, and it鈥檚 tough not to like the way he handled things.

Wetherholt seemed very level-headed. He wasn鈥檛 trying to make the big club on every swing. He went into that experience focused on learning and coming away with things that would help him prepare for his first full season of professional baseball. Remember he played just 29 games at had 105 at-bats at Single-A Palm Beach in 2024.

I know some people will point to the fact that Masyn Winn came up to the big leagues in 2023 and got his feet wet the year before the club had him slated for a full-time role.

If they did it then, why not now?

Funny that some of the same folks that would make that argument would also dismiss Winn鈥檚 deliberately paced progression through the minors 鈥� 105 games at Triple-A 鈥� as not applicable to Wetherholt because Winn got drafted out of high school and Wetherholt got drafted out of college.

In fact, they鈥檙e right in that regard. Winn鈥檚 progression doesn鈥檛 parallel Wetherholt鈥檚. So don鈥檛 use Winn as the example for why we should see Wetherholt this season.

There鈥檚 also the issue of playing time. As it stands now, with Winn playing every day and putting up some of the best defensive numbers of any shortstop in baseball, Wetherholt would have to play at second base or third base.

We鈥檒l set aside the fact that, as of Friday, Wetherholt had only played 19 professional games at a position other than shortstop. Even with Nolan Arenado on the injured list, there鈥檚 not a lot of room for Wetherholt to play regularly at second or third.

The current group vying for time at those positions include Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese. That鈥檚 an All-Star player and two young players the organization is supposed to be evaluating.

If you鈥檙e reaction to that is Donovan can get time in the outfield, that鈥檚 an utterly disingenuous stance. The outfield group vying for regular playing time includes Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera and Victor Scott II.

That鈥檚 not including Garrett Hampson because he鈥檚 basically serving a reserve role off the bench.

If you throw first base and designated hitter into the mix, then you鈥檙e also adding Willson Contreras into that logjam.

Lets not forget that this was supposed to be the season that Walker and Gorman got 500 plate appearances apiece and benefited from consistent playing time.

Spoiler alert. Neither Walker (258 plate appearances) nor Gorman (244 plate appearances) will get there. Yes, injuries played a significant part in that outcome for both of them, but they鈥檙e both healthy now and should get at-bats.

On top of the fact that there isn鈥檛 playing time for Wetherholt, the Cardinals should also recognize that they鈥檝e stumbled in the past by trying to accelerate a player鈥檚 development by promoting him to the big leagues early.

Walker was a top-5 prospect in baseball when he jumped from Double-A to the Opening Day roster in 2023. Two seasons later, the Cardinals went into this year still trying to 鈥渟ee what they have鈥� in Walker.

I know this may sound like being overly cautious to some, but it鈥檚 not crazy to think that Wetherholt could get something out of more time at Triple-A.

I know. He鈥檚 had an entire month, almost 20 games at Triple-A. Twenty games! How dare anyone suggest holding him back.

Nevermind that next week marks the first time he鈥檒l face an opposing pitching staff (Gwinnett) for a second series since he came to Triple-A.

Of course, things have changed in the minors in recent years. Maybe they don鈥檛 make adjustments, form scouting reports and attack weaknesses of an individual batter the way they used to in past years. Maybe Wetherholt is just that good that he can鈥檛 be pitched to regardless of how many times a team sees him.

Well, it still doesn鈥檛 make all that much sense to add Wetherholt to the major-league roster (and 40-man roster) at this moment. There鈥檚 no urgency to do so. All that would do is take away a bit of roster flexibility that the new front office regime headed by Chaim Bloom might be able to use this offseason.

For what reason? To get Wetherholt a small handful or at-bats at someone else鈥檚 expense. Why? To what end?

While it鈥檚 easy to understand a fan鈥檚 fervor to get a peek at the future, it just doesn鈥檛 serve a purpose for Wetherholt or the club right now.